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A GREAT AND CRYING NEED
What Would the Master Habe You Do ? —C. H. Wetherbee Sounds
'Ringing Call Tor Kindness.
Love the erring ones.
When a young person has gone into wrong ways,
and then in penitence has turned toward a better
lifej he needs all possible help from Christian people
to encourage and sustain him in his upward career.
That one may have done some disgraceful act in
former years; he may have become degraded for a
while; but now, having repented of his sins and
entered upon a commendable course, no one should
taunt him with his past record. To do so is to
treat him most heartlessly and cruelly. But this is
just what has been done in many instances. About
two years ago I was told by a. Chistian woman
an incident of which she had direct knowledge. In
a small village in the State of New York a young
woman went from another place to engage as a book
keeper for a business man. She at once began to
attend a church in the place, and soon took a very
active part in the Sunday school. In a short time
she was made a teacher of a class and she speedily
won the favor of her class, and also the members
of the church. It was evident that she was a
thoroughly sincere and earnestly devoted Christian.
But it appears that a year or two before she went
to that place she met with a misfortune. A young
man, by wily ways, and under promise of marriage,
led her astray. He did marry her, but it involved
her very unfortunately. She soon separated from
him, and, if I remember correctly, she obtained a
divorce from him. Then she resolved to go to
another place, at a considerable distance from her
old home. Up to the time of her unfortunate ex
perience she had ever borne an unimpeachable char
acter and reputation. But here is another unfortu
nate feature. The wife of the pastor of the church,
where she was redeeming herself, somehow learned
of that incident in her career and soon went to the
young woman, telling her of her knowledge of that
affair, and also said to her that she should give up
her class. It was a stunning shock to the young
woman. No pen can describe the anguish of her
heart. Broken-spirited, she soon left the place.
When this thing became known in town, there was
universal indignation at the pastor’s wife. Instead
of being a helper to the young woman, she was a
hurtful hinderer. Never be guilty of so mean a
thing. Help the unfortunate ones,
Dr. "Broughton and His Neto Book
Dr. Leu G. Broughton, pastor of the great Baptist
Tabernacle, has just given to the world a little
book which is arousing and startling the religious
public. It is entitled “Religion and Health,” and
is a review of the recent Emanuel Movement of
Boston, with suggestions to the Christian church.
For some time it has been known that the Taber
nacle pastor and author of many books and founder
of many church enterprises for expressing our re
ligion and blessing humanity, had looked with favor
upon certain phases of this new and not by any
means accepted departure in the Christian church.
But nobody was aware until the book made its ap
pearance a few weeks ago that he was preparing a
book on that line in which he would put himself
on record concerning it.
Although the little book has been out only a few
weeks it has succeeded as its author no doubt ex
pected it would, creating no little stir among those
who look with suspicion upon anything in the way
of psychology that comes into the Christian church.
Many think that the author has gone into dangerous
paths, and gone perhaps too far, while others are
equally as sure that he has done his very best service
to the church iif his new role. Certainly he has done
Avell in calling the church to the recognition of the
claims of the sick upon it. Tool ong it has neglected
to heed the Master’s command to heal the sipk.
Dr. Broughton i§ the best qualified man that we
know ip |he pulpit today to present this call, for he
wag well qualified and successful physician before
fie entered the pulpit, and ip connection with bis
YOU CAN FIND A WAY.
He who is really anxious to be of gracious service
to humanity will find ways of accomplishing it, even
though it may be under stringent limitations. There
are many examples of this kind, and they are a
sharp rebuke to those professors of religion who
offer various excuses for their not rendering free
help to those around them who would be much
benefited by their ministrations. It is mostly a
question of one’s disposition as to whether or not
he will be a blessing to others. Rev. R. A. Torrey
says: “I know of a woman in the city of New
York who was converted from a life of sin, and
whose early childhood had been spent in dense
ignorance. I am not quite sure that she could read
with ease when she was converted. But her life
after she was converted was very beautiful. I think
she only lived about three years after her conversion,
and the last year was spent, the most of it, in bed.
But as she lay there dying by inches, she sent for
one and another of her old-time friends, and it is
said that there was a steady tramp up and down
her stairs, and, before her spirit departed to be
with Christ, they knew of at least one hunderd
persons that she had brought to Christ. I think
that would be a pretty good record for a preacher.”
Though under great limitations, yet that feeble
woman accomplished a work which was vast in
its outreach. If the results were confined solely to
this world they would be of inestimable worth;
but the thrilling truth is, the greater part of the
results will enter into the heavenly and eternal
world.
If that woman had been disposed to do so, she
could have found very plausible excuses for not
exerting herself in behalf of the welfare of other
people. What a very wide contrast there is between
her example and that of thousands of healthy and
talented people who are members of Christian
churches, and regard themselves as being the Lord’s
followers! You who are closely confined to your
homes by ill health can, if you will, do as much
as to send messages of Gospel truth and bright
cheer to those who may not be reached in any
other way.
(§§§ SSS
great church operates a great Christian hospital.
Besides he is known far and wide as one of the
most orthodox of preachers in the pulpit. This
makes what he says the more interesting. There
is no division of sentiment about the Christian hos
pital. Everybody agrees that it is a necessity, but
there is a wide difference of opinion concerning the
methods of what is called the Emanuel Movement
which practices healing by mental suggestion, so
closely akin to Christian Science.
Dr. Broughton in his new book does not endorse
the Emanuel Movement as such. But he does en
dorse some of its principles. He believes that the
law of suggestion covers a larger range than the
Movement gives it—- that it takes the whole field of
environment, that anything that is calculated to make
an impression upon the mind will likewise impress
the body. He claims, therefore, that Religion, in
the interest of humanity, should concern itself about
the matter of environments and all other forms of
suggestion.
He also claims for this same principle applica
tion to purely spiritual lines: to tin* development of
character and even the work of leading souls to
Christ. And never mind what we may think of the
book as a whole, this one section is worth more than
money can pay for. Certainly right thinking is
worth everything in the formation of character and
this he shows most beautifully.
In the last chapters of hig unique like work he
makes a strong appeal for the gospel of human need
and shows by beanfifiil illustration that the age in
The Golden Age for April 8, 1909.
which we now live is one that demands attention to
the common and long neglected needs of the masses,
and shows how the church that hopes to win must
enter this field and practice as well as preach.
Altogether it is a remarkably suggestive book.
It can be read through at a. single sitting and will
just as surely start lines of new thought as it is
read.
It is published by the well known publishers, “The
Fleming 11. Revell Co.” of New York, and can be
obtained through any book dealer or form the Bap
tist Tabernacle Book Stall, Atlanta, Ga. Price 25
cents.
M *
Model License League.
Several weeks ago Secretary of State Cook was
inquired of by the president of the National Model
License eLague for lists of the members-elect of the
next legislature. Since then the legislators have
been receiving letters from the Model license people.
Those misguided folks do not intend to let us alone.
They will break us up if they can. They are send
ing out a series of resolutions that were adopted at
their recent meeting at Louisville in which they
confess to the crimes that are justly chargeable to
the saloons and send forth most exuberant prom
ises to be good. They will hardly deceive anybody,
but they have money and our people do not always
send unpurchasable representatives.
“Och, mankind are unco weak
And little to be trusted,
If self the wavering balance shake
’Tis seldom right adjusted.”
n *
The Limit of the Line.
(Continued from Page Seven.)
“What sort of policy, Miss Ford,” he said with
unusual courtliness, “should a newspaper pursue,
which aims to entertain the people, and help them
to work out their problems at the same time?”
“That’s a difficult question to answer. Mr. Brown,
off-hand. lam afraid that I haven’t had sufficient
experience to help you out, on a. moment’s notice.
Gregg has thought about everything,” she went on
with her faint, slow smile, “since he has been rest
ing here under the specialist’s orders, and I am sure
that he will be only too glad to air his opinion, if
you will give him the floor.”
“Thanks,” said young Ford. He crossed the rug
and took his favorite pose by the mantel.
“The newspaper should stand for the best things
in the world, of course. The stern, fundamental vir
tues, the ideals which will make an individual great,
will produce the same results when applied broadly
to a nation. But you can not ram temperance, in
dustry, fidelity and faithfulness down a man’s throat,
Henry, you have got to persuade, suggest; charm
the human atom to climb the heights of self-mas
tery. I don’t think to make semi-heroes out of
criminals furnishes a good object lesson to the public
against murders. Or, to give the brilliant details
of a prominent man’s second marriage to a young
girl, while the woman who helped him to achieve
enviable distinction is still alive, but dvorced. If
you must publish the facts on the black side of civi
lization, put them in small type and in colorless
rhetoric on the back page, and give the headlines
to the glories of wholesome adventure and reform.”
“Shoot again, brother,” Henry Brown command
ed, his eyes beginning to scintillate. “If you lose
your pile, you can make it again, out of the Gazette,
with that brand of talk.”
“Refuse,” and Ford’s voice vibrated with con
trolled passion, “to back up the selected deity of
your party, when you have mighty good reasons to
believe that the thing is corrupt from head to heel.”
“Go on, Ford. Jove! but you are upper-cutting
the ‘System.’ ”
“I don’t recognize but one ‘system,’ ” said Ford.
“Believe it or not, as you like, I began my game at
the church door, and providence has rolled the mil
lions my way ever since. Through the Titanic in
fluence of an omnipresent power I have been enabled
to make business decisions every seven minutes.
How often do you Water Oaks folks shoot?”
“About once every four years,” said Henry
Brown, in an amused, but philosophic tone.
(To be Continued.)
9
